Rocket Man The Definitive Hits – Elton John

By my own account I am pretty set in my ways when it comes to the music that I love, I have very set favourites and a genre of taste. Elton John seems to transcend that I just discovered.

All day I have been listening to Rocket Man – The Definitive Hits by Elton John. It is the 2CD Australian Tour Edition 2011 and it stripped away the years to give me the soundtrack to my childhood – a bright, vibrant and toe tapping soundtrack that had me singing along full voiced from the first listen through (and that is really unlike me with a house full, I usually save that for when I am home alone).

I read Tour Edition and immediately figured this would be a live recording but I am pretty sure it’s not, and if it is the sound quality is absolutely fabulous. OK, so it’s not a live recording – it’s a special souvenir release for Australian audiences to celebrate Sir Elton John’s 15th Australian tour this November-December.

This is an exclusive double CD that expands the Rocket Man compilation (which was originally a single CD) and has been customised for Australian audiences. The track list has been based on the most popular Elton John track downloads for Australia.

The CD booklet is actually very simple compared to what I would have expected actually. There is no history, background or other information but it does have information on what album all of the tracks came from and the cover art which I think is very beneficial to refer to if you are trying to place the songs. Usually I like to have the lyrics in the CD booklet because I like to read through them on the first few listens – this time I really don’t miss them because it seems I know all of the lyrics to all of these tracks. Surprising considered I never would have called myself an Elton John fan.

The tracks have not been ordered chronologically, so it’s not a case of starting in 1970 with Country Comfort and Your Song then traveling through the years finish in 1997 with Something About The Way You Look Tonight.

Elton John has had such an amazing career, spanning more years than I’ve been alive, so it would be extremely difficult to sum up his career in a few paragraphs – or collect all of his greatest hits in one double CD. Therefore it stands to reason that there are going to be some songs that people think should definitely have been included that haven’t made the cut. On the other hand there has to be some included that people would think should have been left out as well but that all comes down to personal taste.

There are some songs that I think should have been included that weren’t but there aren’t really any tracks that I can sit back and wonder how they made it in.

Lucky for me I have the house to myself this evening because I am really getting into the groove here and singing along to classics like Your Song, Rocket Man, I’m Still Standing, Daniel, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me and an absolute favourite of mine Empty Garden. But I think I really need to leave it here because I could go on all night but it’s not going to tell you anything else you don’t know, except maybe that you really need to go get this for yourself to appreciate it. Instead I’m going to give you the track listing and call it a night.

Track Listing

DISC 1
Tiny Dancer
Your Song
Bennie And The Jets
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee)
Candle In The Wind (Album Version) *1973 version*
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time)
Daniel
Crocodile Rock
I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
I’m Still Standing
Something About The Way You Look Tonight
Circle Of Life
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Sacrifice
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Nikita

DISC 2
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
Philadelphia Freedom
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
Levon
The One
Healing Hands
Club At The End Of The Street
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
Blue Eyes
Teacher I Need You
Country Comfort
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
The Last Song

About Michelle

My blurb went missing... so now I have to bring you a new one. One that is a little broader too.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years I have broadened my horizons considerably.
I inhale music, hair metal that satisfies my inner bogan is where my musical passion lies, but again I've been exposed to lots of different music I wouldn't normally listen to and have broadened those horizons also.

In a nutshell - I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews.
Perhaps we were perfect before - I LOVE WORDS! Reading, writing, speaking, listening - if it's got words I'm there!